Apparatus for casing tobacco



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APPARATUS FOR GASING TOBACCO. No. 446,441. Patented Peb. 17, 1891.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheety 2.

J. C. FROST.

APPARATUS POR GASING TOBACCO. y No. 446,441. Patented Feb. 17.18.91.

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llniiTnn @Tarts PnTnNT @Tinten0 JOHN O. FROST, OF STATESVILLE, NORTH OAROLIN A.

APPARATUS FOR CASING TOBACCOr SPECIFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,441, dated February 17, 1891. Application iiled April 16, 1890. Serial No. 348,261. (No model!) To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN C. FROST, of Statesville, in the county of lredell and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Casing Tobacco, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in certain details of construction and combination of parts, such as shown in the accompanying drawings, and more fully explained hereinafter.

In the drawings, in which the same letters and figures of reference indicate the same parts, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my improved apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

In the embodiment of my invention I employ a frame-work A of any suitable construction and dimensions. A roller ais journaled transversely in the frame near the upper forward end of the same, and a suitable distance in rcar of said roller and in horizontal alignment therewith is journaled another roller a', and near the upper rear end of the frame is journaled a roller ci?. Adjacent to the lowerforward end are j ourn aled the rollers a3 and a, the roller a* being forward of and lower than the roller a5. An endless belt B, of wire fabric or slatted construction, is passed around the above-mentioned rollers, as shown, and is driven in the direction indicated by the arrows. A feeding-table b is arranged above the forward end of the belt and projects a short distance over the same, whereby the tobacco-leaves are evenly fed to the belt B. The belt being constructed of wire fabric or slatted material, a portion of the dirt and foreign matter that is separated 'from the leaves will pass through the same; but in order to thoroughly cleanse the leaves of all dirt and other adhering foreign matter I einploy a rotary fan-blower O, said fan being journaled upon a transverse shaft c and inclosed in a suitable casing c', air being supplied through an opening c2 in t-he side of the frame. The fan -inclosing casing c is arranged a short distance to the rear of the roller ct, and an air-trunk c3, through which air is forced by the fan-blower O, extends obliquely downward and forward to within a short distance of the downwardlymoving portion of the belt B as it passes around the rollers a and a3. 'lhe fan is given a sufficient velocity to force the air through the trunk against the tobacco, as it descends from the horizontal port-ion l of the belt to the upwardly inclined and moving portion 2,thereby completely separating all adhering foreign matter from the tobacco and forcing or sifting the same through the meshes or openingsl of the downwardly inclined and moving portion 3 of the belt B. A curved shield b covers the roller co3, and is so arranged that all descending leaves are prevented from passing back of said roller and are guided upon the portion 2 of the belt. As the tobacco passes up the incline all the iine or scrap portions of tobacco will pass through the belt and be guided out of the frame by means of the chute or trough Z22. Another chute b3 is arranged forward of and beneath the portion 3 of the belt to conduct the sand and other sifted matter without the frame of the device. A vertical pipe or cylinder D is arranged beneath the roller a2, or the said roller is journaled in the upper end of said cylinder, as desired, or arranged in any manner so that all the tobacco carried up by the belt will drop into the cylinder D. Oircularpipes E or coils of the same are arranged within the cylinder D, said pipes having their inner sides pei'- forated at e, and, if desired, nozzles may be inserted in said perforations; but this is not absolutelyl necessary. The pipes E are for spraying the casing solution upon the leaves as they fall through the cylinder D, and, extending entirely around the inner sides of said cylinder, theleaves will be sprayed upon all sides. Pressing-rollers F are arranged at the lower end of the cylinder D, and all the leaves in passing from the cylinder pass between said pressing-rollers, whereby the casing is more thoroughly absorbed bythe leaves, -T

and all the liquid not absorbed will be wrung from the leaves and conducted away to be used again.

G indicates a receptacle in which the licorice or casing is prepared, said receptacle consisting of a tank having a series of steam-coils g arranged in the bottom of the same for heating and cooking the licorice solution. By heating the solution by steam a uniform de- IOO gree of temperature is always to be had, and scorching, which is so common, is entirely avoided. The licorice is preferably held upon a reticulated rest g', supported within the solution upon a rod g2, extending upward from the top coil of the steam-pipe g. Other means, however, for supporting the rest may be employed. By holding the licorice upon the rest it cannot come in contact with theheated pipes and produce a sticky mass. .After the solution has been cooked in the receptacle G it is passed into a reservoir-tank II by means of the pipe h, and from the reservoir II the solution passes into the spraying-pipes E by means of the pipe 7L', and at any suitable point in the pipe h is arrangedl a steam-injector I, which is vconnected with the steamspace of a boiler by means of the steam-pipe The steam-coil g inthe cooking-receptacle G is connected with the steam-boiler by means of a pipe i.

.Any suitable form of steam boiler or generator may be employed as a source of steamsu-pply, and said steam-supply may be adj acent to the easing apparatus or some distance from the same, as desired.

Any suitable method of operating the variousmoving parts may be employed; but I have shown a construction which is very simple and has been found very efficient. This consists of a belt K, driven by a steam-engine or other power, said belt passing around a pulley 7.', mounted upon one end of the fanshaft c. Upon the opposite end of said shaft is secured a pinion 7a', which meshes with a large gear 7a2, which in turn meshes with the gear 7c3, mounted upon the end of the shaft of roller a. By this means the fan and belt areoperated, and to operate the pressing-roll abelt 7o4is passed around pulleys mounted on theiendsof one of the pressing-rollers andthe roller a2, as shown.

The operation of my device is as follows: The tobacco-leaves are spread upon the feeding-'table b and fed upon the horizontal portion l of the belt. The belt being of reticulated or slatted material some of the foreign mattei' will pass through the same. This foreign matter falls into the chute b3. lVhen the tobacco-leaves pass over the roller a', they fall upon the upwardly inclined and moving portion 2 of the belt but in passing to said portion 2 they are subjected to an air-blast from the fan C, and all foreign matter adhering to the leaves is separated therefrom by the force of the blast and driven through the downwardly inclined and moving portion 3 of the belt. This sifted matter falls also into the chute b3. As the tobacco-leaves move up the incline 2, fragments, d70., fall through the same and are caught in the -chute b2. The leaves pass over the roller a2 and drop into the casing-cylinder D, Where the casing is sprayed upon all sides of the leaves by means of the perforated pipe Vor pipes E, said pipes having the steamin j eetorI connected with the same for the purpose of spraying the casing solution. The

leaves in passing out of the cylinder are subjected to the action of the' pressing-rolls F, and a great deal of the casing solution is thereby caused to be absorbed by the leaves. All the solution not absorbed is carried off, to be used again. The casing solution is cooked by steam heat, and a uniform temperature is therefore attained and scorching is avoided. The speed of the moving parts can be regulated to feed a definite amount of tobacco, accoi-ding to the kind operated upon.

In an apparatus constructed and operated as described all'the foreign matter vadhering to the tobacco is entirely removed before casing. Scraps are also removed, and the tebacco is sprayed upon all sides and the casing solution is never scorched, but is always prepared at a uniform temperature.

It is obvious that the details of construction of my machine may be varied and the relative position of the parts changed without departing from my invention, the principle of which is to spray the casing solution upon all sides of the tobacco.

Instead of having the leaves fall through a cylinder or drum, they may be made to fall from one belt to another, the solution being injected upon the same on all sides.

Having thus described the construction, operation, and advantages of my improved apparatus, what I claim isl. In a tobacco-caser, vthe casing-cylinder having a perforated coil pipe or pipes arranged within the same for spraying the easing solution upon the leaves as they pass through the cylinder, substantially as shown and described.

2. In atobaeco-caser, the combination, with a movable endless belt, of the rollers a, a', a2, a, and at, around which the belt passes, t-he rollers a., a', and a2 being arranged in horizontal alignment, the roller a3 being arranged below the said rollers, and a blowing device arranged adjacent to the belt between the rollers a and a, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a tobacco-caser, the combination, with a movable endless belt of foraminous structure, an air-blower arranged adjacent to said belt, a casing-cylinder arranged beneath the delivery end of said belt, and a pipe in said cylinder for spraying the easing solution, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with the endless belt, of the rollers a, a, a2, a3, and a4, the rollers c, a', and a2 being in horizontal alignment, the rollers a3 and a* being below'the said rollers a, a', and a2, the belt passing over the rollers a, a', and a2 and under the rollers a3 and at, and the shield b', arranged to cover the roller a3, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a tobacco-caser, the combination, with an endless belt constructed and arranged as described, of a blower adjacent to said belt, a casing-cylinder having perforated pipes arranged within the same, adapted to spray the solution upon the leaves, and the injectorI IOO IIO

S. The eombination,with a easing-cylinder having the perforated eoils arranged Within the saine, the licorice-cooking receptacle, reservoir-tank connected with the said receptaele, a pipe connect-ing` the reservoir and eoils Within the easing-cylinder, a steam-pipe eonneeted with the said connecting-pipe, and an injector arranged at the juncture of the steam and connecting pipes, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN C. FROST.

Witnesses:

J. W. MARSHALL, W. G. LEWIS. 

